Daily Dish: Kick the Dish - Junior Hockey News

Yesterday was an unusually long day, so long that it took 48 hours to get it done. Let me explain.

Our soccer team was set to depart for Charleston, SC on Saturday afternoon,. The departure was delayed to vehicle availability. The delay actually worked to our advantage and gave us an additional day of rest.

Our 6:00 PM departure from Houston turned into 9:00 PM and we arrived in Charleston Monday at 3:00 PM. Needless to say, Monday's dish got left off the plate. Driving seventeen hours with a van load of valuable commodities took a toll on my almost 45 year old body.

Why are we in Charleston?

The Charleston Battery is one of American soccer's greatest success stories. The Battery have been able to combine an amazing facility with fanatical community support. American Junior Hockey teams would do themselves a great service by visiting Charleston to see the Battery operation for themselves. The club has been able to embed themselves into the soul of the community and its treasured history.

Back to the task at hand. My club, Regals FC, was formed just seventeen months ago. The idea was to take everything I learned from junior hockey and apply it to soccer. Without getting into a ton of details, the concept worked perfectly, aside from the tons of fan support. Oh well, the soccer has been fantastic and the team continues to over achieve.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the United States Adult Soccer Association Region III Championship, also the qualifier for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Regals FC was one of eight USASA teams that advanced to today's opening round of the Cup. There are 16 games slated for the first round today and upsets are the tradition. Nothing would make our club happier than to pull one off today.

What are our chances like? In hockey, it would be like the Omaha Lancers upsetting the Ft Wayne Komets. It could happen, there are some tactical advantages to the way Regals FC plays, and there is the element of surprise. We are able to watch the Battery on TV, and the Regals are lucky to make an occasional you tube highlight reel.

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